This invention relates to the field of casino management, and more particularly to a device whereby casino chips can be moved across the table from a dealer to the players in an expeditious manner.
Many casinos incorporate a variety of gaming tables where players can play blackjack, poker games, roulette and other. Most of the modern casinos use chips as currency equivalents. The chips are conventionally stored in special trays, positioned near the dealer or croupier. The dealer can remove the chips as the game requires and move them to a player. The dealer also collects the chips from players, exchanging currency for chips, while storing of the chips in the tray.
Conventional chip trays are divided into several compartments, each adapted to retain twenty chips, which can be of a singular or various denominations. Depending on the number of players and the magnitude of their game wages, the value of the chip bank set in the table chip tray at any given time changes as the game progresses. The chips are moved across the table by players and by the dealer with every bet. The dealer usually transfers a stack of chips between the players, between the tray and the table multiple times during the shift or operational period of the table game.
Most often, the chips are transferred by hand in small stacks of 20 to allow for easy counting of the chips. Should the stacks tumble on the table the dealer is required to place them in a stack again. The restacking is time consuming and labor intensive. Besides, restacking tends to interrupt the rhythm of the game. An additional complication is that the stacks of chips tend to disassemble and tumble when the direction of force of moving the chips is incorrect.
Some tables use elongated L-shaped sticks that move the dice and/or chips around the table. However, dealers are still required to stack the chip bank to allow for easy counting and subsequent dispensing. Some larger game tables are known to use a large organizer/pusher for delivering the chips to a winning better. However, such organizer/pushers are nothing more than a polished board and the chips have a tendency to slide off them.
Accordingly it would be beneficial to have the ability to move the chips across the table, between the dealer and the players, while the chips are in a stacked position and in a manner that would prevent tumbling and allow easy counting of the chips so as to increase accuracy, controllability, accessibility, simplicity and speed of game management.